(C) Cheryl Howard 2009

This is what I pray for you: That your love, affection, benevolence and goodwill may increase and excel, and be great in quantity and degree; that your ‘love-feast’ will overflow and be pre-eminent because it will be so abundant, and it will exceed all measure! That it will be like a flower that goes from a little bud to a full bloom! And that it will do this readily and willingly, more and more – and that it will happen sooner rather than later, in a larger measure and to a greater degree through the precise and correct knowledge of things ethical and divine, and in the knowledge of GOD’s holy will. And also in all manner of judgment and moral discernment in everything; with all cognition and through perception.

I offer up this prayer for you - that you will test, try, examine - scrutinising for genuineness, and that you will discern, prove and approve those things that are excellent; that you can differentiate between good and evil, distinguishing between what is lawful and unlawful, and recognising those things which are better and of more value, that you test and prove the things that excel and are good!

My prayer is that you would be sincere and without offence, that you would be pure and unsullied, not led into sin and not leading others into sin. That your life would be found to be pure if it were unfolded and exposed to the sun’s examining light! That you would be blameless, not stumbling nor causing others to stumble, in the time and till the Day of CHRIST.

Oh that you would abound in, so that you are full to the brim, and there is nothing wanting in you, of the fruits and deeds of righteousness. That you would perform acts and deeds that reveal you have a full measure of virtue and integrity. And that the crop that is gathered of your life, and its effect and result, will be as it ought to be, in rightness and justice – acceptable to GOD, and being liberally supplied and complete in purity of life, and in correctness of thinking, feeling and acting, because of JESUS CHRIST!

For it is on account of HIM, through HIM and by reason of HIM, and it is for the worship and glory of GOD – for HIS Majesty, HIS excellence, splendour, and in honour of HIS magnificence, brightness and pre-eminence; for HIS commendation and praise!

 

 

 

 

thought for the journey …

 

Of our lives will one day be reaped a harvest - the question is: ‘Will it be a rich and abundant harvest?’ or ‘Will it be a meager, shrivelled and inedible harvest?’ Will it be sweet and delightful, fragrant and joyous, or will it be bitter and disappointing, malodorous and repulsive?’

 

The heart and desire of CHRIST, our LORD and SAVIOR, is that HE could present us as a truly sweet and aromatic offering to HIMSELF and our Heavenly FATHER!

It is we, and we alone who determine the type of fruit our lives produce - we cannot make ourselves bear good fruit, but we can choose to abide in The True VINE and to let HIS Life flow through ours and produce HIS fruit. Or we can choose to live for ’self’, to seek to please ourselves, and consequently to stem the flow of HIS Life in our lives and to become barren branches, or branches that bear sour, under-ripe and wizened fruit.

 

Ephesians 5:27 ”That HE might present her to HIMSELF, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

 

John 15:8 “By this MY FATHER is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be MY disciples.

John 15:4-6 “Abide in ME and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you unless you abide in ME. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in ME and I in him bears much fruit; for without ME you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in ME he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

 

Oh that we would choose to live all out for JESUS, totally abandoned to HIM and HIS will - HIS good pleasure being the driving force that motivates our every thought and action - that we could stand before HIS Throne with NO REGRETS!  

 

(C) Cheryl Howard 2007

 

Feel trapped in a pit, suffocating

Darkness so thick it rises like water

Threatens to pull me under – I’m drowning

Can’t see a way out, can’t see a way through

Cry’s broken from use, don’t know what to do

 

 

In a moment of time light pierces the black

Grace unexpected it touches my face

And I realise my foolishness in thinking YOU’re back

For YOU never left me, YOU were there all along

It was YOU that was holding me – offering Love that is strong

 

 

Feel so desperate, lost, alone

Not cherished, valued and not known

When so sure my strength would fail

It was YOUR grace BELOVED that prevailed

YOU are my Hope, my Love, my Joy – in YOUR arms I am cradled

 

 

The offering that comes from the ashes of life is most sweet

When the pain seems unbearable and no end in sight

Though it cost you incomprehensible as you yield in ‘defeat’

And you offer it up when all hope your seems gone

And you choose to worship The SAVIOR – trusting HE never does wrong

 

 

For HIS heart it touches, HIS compassions it stirs

None but HE understands the ache you feel

You are not forgotten, abandoned, unheard

For HE embraced suffering unimaginable for you

HE gave of HIMSELF till nothing was left

To wrap you in HIS arms and give you life from HIS death

 

 

 

 

thought for the journey …

 

We all love it when GOD grants our requests, when our heartfelt prayers are answered with a resounding YES! It can be quite a heady experience - Wow, ALMIGHTY GOD listens to me when I cry out to HIM, HE answers my prayers. Talk about influence and clout!

But how do you feel when The LORD answers with silence, with a wait, or the unthinkable - with a NO? When you’re at the end of your tether, when you are so overwhelmed you think you can’t go on? What about when the cry of your heart is not for you, it isn’t based in selfishness, but in desperate longing for another’s need?

Do you still trust HIM unswervingly? Do you still believe in HIS Absolute Goodness and Wisdom? Do you like Job in chapter 13:15 say “though HE slay me, yet will I trust HIM…”?

Or does the lustre of your faith and confidence in HIM begin to dim a little? Do doubts creep in and you find yourself wondering if HE isn’t quite Who you thought HE was? Do you begin to wonder if it’s all worth it? Or like Peter, despite many of JESUS’ disciples turning back from following HIM because of offense, do you say in response to JESUS’ question ”Do you also want to go away?” - ”LORD, to whom shall we go? YOU have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:67-68) 

 

In truth it is GOD’s ”no’s” that puts us to the test, they expose and reveal our trust and faith in HIM (or lack thereof) - our faith that is unspeakably precious to our SAVIOR. Faith is easy when GOD appears to be doing our bidding, running things according to our agendas, when things are sweet and going our way; but what about when everything is turning upside down, when hardship comes knocking on your door? What about when you find yourself backed into a corner through circumstances and choices that you had nothing to do with?

Will you still trust HIM then, or will you accuse HIM of neglect, of failure…?

O beloved of The LORD, cling to HIM when you are bombarded and assaulted by trials and testings that challenge your confidence in the Loving-kindness and Power of your SAVIOR! Weeping may endure for a night, but joy does come in the morning - yes it may be a long night, but remember that GOD is fashioning of your life an eternal masterpiece, and if you truly love ALMIGHTY GOD then you can stand, stand and stand therefore in the confident knowledge that HE is working all things together for your (eternal) good, according to HIS purposes! HE came to give us abundant life - eternal life.

 

Don’t give up! There is far too much at stake, far too much for us to lose. The darker it is - the more we need HIS Light; the harder things are - the more we need HIS Strength; the more hopeless our future appears - the greater our need of HIM, The HOPE of the world, The GOD of all hope! 

 

Hebrews 10:34b-36a ”…knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance …”

 

1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of CHRIST.”